Net-holder



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

S. A. ALLING.

NET HOLDER.

Patented Sept. 14, 1897.

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s. A. ALLI N G.

NET HOLDER.

(No Model.)

F v w m m uwk w h WITNESSES when not in use, and whereby the parts ofthe tion and combination of the several parts, as

SAMUEL A, AL'LINe, or nouns, MINNESOTA.

NET-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,083, datedSeptember 14, 1897.

I Application filed ruary 9,1897- Serlal No. 622,608. (No model.)

To (all whom, it 772,11. con (107%:

Be it known that'l, SAMUEL A. ALLING, of Homer, in the county of NVinonaand State of Minnesota, have invented a new and Improved N et-Holder, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a holder for a bed, mattress,or net adapted to be used when a building is on fire for the purpose ofsaving life by receiving a person jumping from an upper story.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the device thatwhen a person falls upon a net, mattress, or bed supported by the devicethe receivingsurface for the person will yield under the weight receivedand whereby when the mattress, net, or bed has been forced downward bythe weight of the person the said receiving surface of the device Willbe prevented from rising, thereby effectually preventing the rebound ofthe person or object received.

Another objectof the invention is to so construct the device that aftertheperson so received by the device has been removed the net or bed maybe restored to its upper or normal position, being operated to that endby persons standing at the base of the device.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the life-savingdevice that it may be folded to occupy but a minimum of space device maybe quickly and conveniently assembled when said device is required foruse. The invention consists in the novel construcwill be hereinafterfully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved device in a position for use.Fig. 2 is a plan view of the base of the device, illustrating the samefolded. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 3 3of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section through one of theposts of the device, the top portion of the post, which is shown asseparated from the body, having been slightly turned.

Thebase of the device preferably consists oftwo side pieces 10, eachside piece at each end being fitted 'into or upon a foot 11, which feetare at right angles to the side pieces with which they are connected,and the connec-' tions between the side pieces and the feet are suchthat the two are fl ush at their upper faces.

A bracing-arm 12 is pivotally attached to the outer end port-ion of thefeet 11 at one end of the base, while correspondingbracing-arms 12" arepivoted in like manner to the outer ends of the feet 11 at the oppositeend of the base. The bracing-arms 12 are adapted to extend over thebracing-arms 12, and to that end the bracing-arms 12 are made thickerattheir pivot-points than at other portions in their lengths. The arms 12are brought together and are connected by ahinge 13, while the arms 12are brought together and are connected by a hinge 13, as shown best inFig. 2.

WVhere the arms 12 connect, one of the arms at its inner end is providedwith a bolt 14, substantially of L shape. When the sides of the base arebrought outward, so as to bring the base into position for use, as shownin Fig. 1, the horizontal portion of the bolt 14 will engage withthearms 12 and by frictional contact serve to bind the two sets of armstogether, so as to hold the side pieces 10 in their spread or openposition.

At the point where thesides 10 are attached to the feet 11 bosses 15,preferably of a circular shape, are formed upon the said side pieces attheir upper faces, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. Each of thesebossesis adapted to receive a hollow post 16, one of the said postsbeing shown in section in Fig. 4. Each post contains at its bottomportion a spring 17, and each spring is secured at its lower end withinthe post by means of a pin 18 or its equivalent. Near the upper end ofeach post, at opposite sides, an opening 19 is formed communicating withthe interior, and in one arm 23 is pivoted, the said gripping-arm at itsinner end being made quite wide also and provided with teeth 24:, whichface the teeth The gripping-arm 23 and 22 on the lever 20.

. the toothed surface of the lever 20.

the lever together constitute a clutch and have their lower opposingedges smooth and rounded or beveled off.

The grippingarm is provided with a horizontal slot 25, through which thepivot-pin 2.6 of the arm ispassed, and a spring 27 is attached to thepost in which the gripping-arm is located, having bearing on the upperportion of the said arm in such manner as to normally hold the toothedsurface of the gripping-arm opposite and substantially close to Thelever 20 and gripping-arm 23 are connected by plates 20, located one ateach side of the arm and lever adjacent to their lower edges. The platesare securely bolted to the lever 20, but are pivoted by a pin 23 to thegripping-arm 23, as shown in Fig. 4. lVhen the outer end of the lever isdrawn down, the inner or toothed end of the gripping-arm is compelled torise with the corresponding end of the lever. When the lever isreleased, the spring will restore said lever and its gripping-arm totheir normal positions. A pulley 28 is journaled in each of the posts16, above the clutch of the post, and the said pulleys are passed outthrough openings 29 in the posts, the pulleys being preferably placed atan angle to the axis of the clutch, as shown in Fig. 1.

A rope or a chain 30 is attached to the spring 17, and this rope orchain is passed upward between the teeth of the clutch members, asillustrated in Fig. 4, and over the pulley 28 of the post in which thespring is located. Each rope or chain 30 of each tubular post isprovided with a ring or a loop 31 at its outer end, and these loops orrings are engaged by hooks 32, clips, or their equivalents, which hooks,clips, or snaps are secured to the corners of a net 33, a mattress, or abed of any description. Preferably, however, a net is employed, asillustrated in the drawings.

A cord or a chain 34 is attached to the lever member 20 of each clutch,the cord or chain being of sufficient lengthto be reached and readilygrasped by a person standing on the support for the device. Aring 35 issecured upon and is passed around each of the tubular posts, and eachring is provided with any desired number of brace-bars 36, which areremovably secured to the base of the device. The posts 16 are given anoutward inclination, so as to remove said posts as far as possible outof the path of a person dropping or falling from a given height onto thenet, mattress, or bed In operation, the device having been set up andthe members of the clutches separated the spring 17 will act to bringthe net, mattress, or bed at the upper portion of the posts. When aperson falling or dropping from a given height lands upon the net,mattress, or bed, the mattress, net, or bed will move downward under theweight of the person until the weight of the falling body iscounterbalanced by the springs 17, which will at that time be placedunder tension. As the not,

mattress, or bed is being-carried downward the members of the clutchesin the posts 10 will move upward, admitting of the free movement of thecords or chains within the posts in an upwardly direction, and by reasonof the slots 25 in the grippingor clamping members 23 of the clutchesthese members will moveoutward, and so separate themselves from thelever members 20, preventing undue tension or friction upon the cords orropes 3O but the moment that the tension of the springs 17 counteractsthe weight of the falling body the members of the clutches will be drawndownward to a clamping engagement with the ropes or chains 30 by reasonof the springs drawing downward upon said ropes or chains. Thereforethere will be no rebound and the person falling on the net will not beapt to be thrown off therefrom, but may be removed in a convenient andsafe manner. After the person received by the not has been removedtherefrom, by drawing downward upon the lever members 20 of the clutchesthe members will be separated and the springs 17 will act to draw theropes or chains 30 downward in the tubular posts and bring the net,mattress, or bed to the upper portion of the posts in position toreceive another subject.

It has heretofore been stated that the bracing-arms 12 are carried overthe sides 10 of the base and that the arms 12 are carried over the arms12. It is therefore necessary that some support should be furnished forthe inner ends of the undermost arms 12. Such a support is provided, asshown in Fig. 2, being in the nature of blocks 37 or lugs attached tothe under faces of the arms 12, near their connection with each other,the said lugs being adapted to bear upon the support on which the devicerests.

Hereinafter the word net will be used to designate the material uponwhich the person or falling body is to be received, and it will beunderstood that the term is intended to include a mattress, bed,tarpaulin, or other material that may be successfully employed toreceiye a person seeking safety through the medium of the life-savin gdevice.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In alife-saving device, a support, tension devicescarried by said support, a net, flexible connections between the net andtension devices, and means, whereby the said connections will be free tomove in one direction but will be prevented from moving in the oppositedirection, substantially as described.

2. In a life-saving device, a net, a support for the net, tensiondevices located in thesaid supports, a flexible connection between thetension devices and the net, and clutches arranged for engagement withthe connection between the tension devices and the net, as and for-thepurpose set forth.

3. In a life-saving device, a net, tubular supports, friction-rollerslocated in the said supports, tension devices secured within thesupports, a flexible connection between the net and the tension devices,which flexible connections are passed over said friction-rollers, andclutches located in the supports, each clutch comprising two membersarranged to clear the connections between the tension devices and thenet when the net is pressed downward, clamping said connections when theweight in the net is counterbalanced by said tension devices, as and forthe purpose specified.

4. In alife-saving device, a net, springs conneeted with the net, andclutches arranged to engage the connecting medium between the springsand the net, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a life-saving device, supports, springs carried by the supports, anet, flexible connections secured to the springs passed over guides andsecured to the net, and a clutch for each flexible connection, saidclutches permittin g the connections to move in one direction only,substantially as described.

6. In a life-saving device, supports provided with guides at their upperends, springs at the lower ends of the supports, a net, a flexibleconnection secured to each spring passed up over the guide at the upperend of the support and secured to the net, a clutch for each flexibleconnection, said clutches permitting the connections to move upwardlybut preventing them from movingdownwardly, and means for releasing theclutches from the connections, substantially as described.

7. In a life-saving device, tubular posts provided with guide-pulleys attheir upper ends, springs secured in the posts at theirlower ends, anet, ropes or chains secured to the springs passed up over theguide-pulleys and secured to the corners of the net, a two-part clutchengaging the ropes or chains to permit them to move in one direction,but preventing them from moving in the opposite direction, and means foroperating one of the members of the clutch to release the ropes orchains, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a lifesaving-device, a tension-coir trolled net, a locking devicefor the net, consisting of a clutch, said clutch comprising a leverhaving a toothed inner end, a pivoted gripping-arm. having its inner endalso toothed, the toothed surfaces of the gripping arm and the leverfacing one another, and a connecting-plate attached to the lever andpivotally connected with the gripping-arm, asand for the purpose setforth.

9. In a life-saving device, the combination, with a series of tubularsupports having springs secured therein, and a clutch contained in eachsupport, comprising two members facing each other, the opposing surfacesbeing provided with teeth, of a net, a flexible connection between thenet and the spring in each support, the said connection being passedthrough the members of the clutch devices, and guide-rollers for theconnections between the springs and the net, located above the saidclutch devices, as and for the purpose specified.

10. In a life-saving device,the combination, with abase, tubular postssecured on the base, springs attached at one end in each of the saidsupports, and clutch devices located in said supports, each clutchdevice consisting of two opposin g pivoted members having teeth formedat their opposite faces, one of the said m embers being a lever and theoppositemember spring controlled, of a net, and flexible connectionsbetweenlthe net and the springs in the said tubular supports, the saidconnections being passed between the members of the several clutchdevices, as and for the purpose set forth.

11. Inalife-saving device, the combination with a folding base andtubular posts detachably connected with the base, springs attached atone end in each of said supports, and clutch devices located in saidsupports, each clutch device consisting of two opposing pivoted membershaving teeth formed at their opposite faces, one of the said membersbeing a lever and the opposite member spring controlled, of a net, andflexible connections between the net and the springs in the said tubularsupports, the said connections being passed between the members of theseveral clutch devices, as and for the purpose specified.

SAMUEL A. ALLING.

